A real girl's guide to LA fitness

As seen on the ClassPass Blog: So You Got Engaged Over the Holidays? Get Fit For the Big Day!

Like many girls, I love being able to share my engagement happiness with the world. This post gave me another excuse to do so, and to pair my excitement with my love for fitness. Check out my post for the ClassPass blog and get the inside scoop on exactly what classes I recommend (not seen on the original post). I’d love to hear tips from anyone else who is getting wedding ready!

So You Got Engaged Over the Holidays? Get Fit For the Big Day!

You’ve got the man. You’ve got the ring. Now it’s time to focus on you! There is nothing more important than looking fit and fabulous on your wedding day, the most-photographed day of your life. With ClassPass you have access to all of the best workouts that can help you look the part. But which ones will help you get the best wedding bod?

Spinning

Want to get your heart rate way up to torch some major cals? Check out a spinning class. With the lights turned low and the music blasting, you’ll have no time to think about your multiplying guest list. Not only will you sweat like crazy, but you’ll also leave with the endorphins it’ll take to tackle the seating chart. Most studios have one or two songs focused on upper body strengthening to help sculpt your arms, too! And PS: Drag your groom along and get his competitive juices flowing; you’re not the only one who needs to look their best come wedding day!

Inside scoop:
Check out FlyWheel with locations in Los Angeles, NYC, Chicago, Boston, and Seattle. The torq board displays how well you’re doing and you can log in after class to see your total distance, average pace, and how many calories you burned.

Barre

For a dancer’s body and a perky booty on your big day, look no further than barre. Barre classes use tiny movements to strengthen (and exhaust) your muscles. The workout is low impact but high rep to increase muscle density and decrease body fat. There is no doubt that frequenting the barre helps you lose inches and tone up.

Inside scoop:
There are a plethora of barre options in every city. Hit up Exhale’s Core Fusion Barre+Cardio class in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, or NYC to kill two birds with one stone.

Bootcamp

High-intensity interval training is a buzzword that you need to know about. Bootcamps are a way to get an intense, full body workout that will help you quickly increase your muscle mass and decrease body fat. These classes allow you to get an equal mix of cardio and weight training in an hour-long session for the perfect wedding bod. The club-like music and inspiring instructors will make the time fly by.

Inside scoop:
Check out Barry’s Bootcamp in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Boston, and NYC. Each day of the week focuses on a different part of your body. Does your dress show off your booty? Go on Tuesdays for a focus on butt+legs. Do you have a dress with a super low back? Check out Wednesday’s chest, back + abs class.

Pilates

Although Pilates won’t necessarily help you lose weight, it will definitely help you tighten up. A majority of Pilates exercises focus on strengthening core muscles, which will help you get rid of any bulge in your midsection. Most helpful, Pilates emphasizes the importance of sitting tall, breathing, and tucking your tummy in, great things to be aware of on your wedding day!

If you’ve only done mat Pilates, try out a beginner’s reformer class. A Pilates reformer has a spring system that creates resistance to better challenge and strengthen the body.

Once the wedding stress starts building and you can’t handle any more discussions on place cards and centerpieces, head to a yoga studio to find your inner peace. Not only will yoga calm you down, but also your instructor will act like a temporary therapist giving you advice on how to live in the moment and let things go. Yogis also have great flexibility that will help you break out some fancy moves on the dance floor!

Inside scoop:
For a particularly inspirational class, check out Quinn at Liberation Yoga in Los Angeles. Liberation Yoga also holds classes in the beautiful back garden.

No matter what exercise you chose to do, any pre-wedding sweat sessions are going to help you relieve stress, be happy, and be more productive. You will be a beautiful bride inside and out!

Rachael Kester is a fitness class fanatic in Los Angeles. When she’s not looking silly during the ballet inspired parts of barre class, she’s blogging about them. Follow her sweaty adventures on sweatandrepeat.com, on Instagram @sweatandrepeatla, and on Twitter @sweatandrepeat.